‘Smart skin’ mimics real thing
19 Feb 2016
Researchers at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia have developed multi-sensor artificial skin capable of sensing pressure, temperature, humidity, proximity, pH, and air flow.
The paper-based skin is made using only recyclable materials found in a typical household, responds to external stimuli and could have applications in medicine and robotics, the researchers said.
This is the first time a singular platform shows multi-sensory functionalities close to that of natural skin
Senior author Muhammad Mustafa Hussain
The skin also features pencil lines that act as sensing components and is layered onto a post-it note with paper, aluminium foil and lint-free wipes.
Muhammad Mustafa Hussain, senior author of the research, which appears in Advanced Materials Technologies, said a skin-type sensory platform made with recyclable materials demonstrates the power of human imagination.
"Previous efforts in this direction used sophisticated materials or processes,” Hussain said.
However, he said chemically-functionalised inkjet printed or vacuum technology — albeit cheap — have shown limited functionalities.
"Here we show a scalable ‘garage’ fabrication approach using off-the-shelf and inexpensive household elements," Hussain added.
“This is the first time a singular platform shows multi-sensory functionalities close to that of natural skin,” he said.
